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1872454
Sapper
George Victor Anderson
1917/06/03 - Born Capetown, South Africa
In South Africa, George was father of George Victor Melidonis (Anderson) and Marlene Valerie Melidonis (Anderson)
1935/11/18 - Enlisted Southampton
Royal Engineers
35 Fortress Company
Service
George was ‘Regular Army’.
The British Army formed new fortress companies before the war. These Companies were to guard against invasion by sea. The companies were to support coastal guns with searchlights against enemy ships approaching the coast. Later it was extended to also defend against enemy aircraft.
The 35th Fortress Company was formed at Blackdown, Hampshire and after an intensive training period, the company was shipped to Singapore in December of 1936. Upon its arrival at Singapore, the 35th Fortress Company was stationed at Pulau Brani, an island just south of Singapore City. The company were to assist the operation and maintenance of coast defence lights and engine room operations for the coastal defence guns.
The Japanese entered the war on th 8th of December 1942 by attacking Pearl Harbour and landing at, Kota Bharu in north western Malaya, and just across the boarder in Southern Thailand. Pushing the 9th and 11th Indian Divisions back, the Japanese quickly gained ground, and within three weeks took control of Ipoh, 150 miles to the south.
By January 1942 orders were received to retreat to Singapore, destroying the causeway which linked Singapore Island to Malaya. Singapore was now under heavy shelling by the Japanese guns in positions in Jahore and as the Japanese aircraft had little resistance in the air, the Japanese aircraft constantly bombed Singapore.
General Percival believed the Japanese attack would come from the North East where he had set up the strength of the 18th Division.
Early in February the Japanese troops began crossing the Jahore Strait using light sea craft and after repairing the damaged causeway, light tanks joined the Japanese attack on Singapore, but not from the North East as Percival had believed. This gave the Japanese a big advantage.
Initially the Royal Engineers were kept busy improving the defences and repairing damage to essential services caused by enemy bombing. As the Japanese advanced the engineers were made part of the defence bearing arms, but gradually the Japanese forced the forces back towards Singapore City.
With food and water becoming a major problem on the 15th of February 1942, General Percival, the Commander of Forces in Malaya, surrendered to the Japanese.
Many of the 35th Fortress Company were lost at sea trying to escape to Java from Pulau Brani, but the majority were taken to Singapore and then onto Changi as Prisoners of War.
1942/03/24 - WO 417/40, Casualty List No. 779. ‘Missing’
Japanese PoW
1942/02/15 - Captured Palau Brani, Singapore
Changi Camp
Japanese Index Card - Side One
Japanese Index Card - Side Two
1942/10/26 - Transported overland to Thailand with ‘W’ Letter Party, train 2.
Commander Lt-Col. R. McL. More, 2 H.A.A. K.S.P.A., RA
On arrival in Thailand George was attached to Group 4 15 (W) Work Battalion under Lt. Col. Alan George Warren, Royal Marines.
New PoW No. IV 6462
George worked in the Kannyu area before moving to Tha Sao Hospital in August 1943.
In January 1944 he moved down river to Chungkai then to Tha Muang.
New PoW No. IV 38743.
By mid 1944 he was back in Singapore from where he left on the Kachidoki Maru.
Kachidoki Maru
The Kachidoki Maru was built by New York Shipping Company in Camden, New Jersey and originally named ‘President Harrison’. The ship was 524 feet overall length with a displacement of 10,500 tons and was painted battle grey, flying the merchant marine flag, which was a red ball in the centre of a white field. It had no red cross markings.
The Japan party consisted of 2,250 prisoners, 1,500 were British the remainder Australian, the number who actually sailed with the convoy was 2,217. The Kachidoki Maru held 900 PoWs (all British) and The Rakuyo Maru a further 1317 (Australian and British).
On 4th September 1944, the two ships joined convoy HI-72 and sailed from Singapore.
On the 12th of September the convoy was attacked by US submarines and both the PoW hell ships were hit. The Kachidoki Maru was hit by a torpedo from the US submarine Pampanito.
USS Pampanito
Three torpedoes were fired at the Kachidoki Maru at 22.40, the target was 3,700 away, two hitting the ship, one at the stern and the other amidships. Both blew holes in the hull plates, flooding the entire aft end of the ship which was sunk off Hainan Island.
Most of those rescued from the Kachidoki Maru were picked up by Japanese trawlers and continued their journey to Japan on the Kibitsu Maru but George died in the Kachidoki Maru sinking.
1945/03/21 - Casualty List No. 1711. Previously reported Prisoner of War in Japanese Hands on Casualty List No. 1284 Malaya. Now reported Missing at Sea.
1945/12/21 - WO417/100, Casualty List No. 1941. Previously reported on Casualty List No. 1711 as Missing whilst Prisoner of War. Presumed Killed in Action whilst Prisoner of War.
Died
Age 27
12th September 1944
Loved Ones
Mother - Mrs Mary S Anderson, 4Atholl Flats, Seapoint, Capetown.
Father of George Victor Melidonis (Anderson) and Marlene Valerie Melidonis (Anderson)
Memorial
Column 40.
Singapore Memorial
Singapore
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Pacific Star
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War Medal
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1939-1945 Star
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Information
Jackie Ruffin - Granddaughter
Gerald Roberts, 35th Fortress Company, Royal Engineers
Andrew Snow - Thailand Burma Railway Centre
Thailand Burma Railway
Kachidoki Maru
KEW Files:- WO 345/1, WO 361/2057, WO 361/1742, WO 361/2005, WO 392/23, WO 361/1987, WO 361/2169, WO361/2191
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